From Bartholomew's Journals: Cleansing and Learning

 (written by Phil, player of Bartholomew, concerning the recent successes in the Spire of the Attine Klackons, and earning Bart 100 xp per level)

From the Journals of Bartholomew Pettibone, of the House Pettibone

A Purveyor of Enchanting Sorcery

25 June 2021 – Cleansing and Learning

Much time has passed, dear readers, since my previous journal entry. And with that passage of time new adventures, and significant learning, has occurred. Some I will relate here, but briefly, while other tidbits I may only hint at.

Developing an understanding of the new vessel that we have acquired has stolen most of my time – but stolen is the wrong word. This vessel is wondrous beyond imagination, and it has opened my mind to new avenues of power, literal power – not the mere machinations of politics and social/economic constructs – but energy, and how it may be used. For good or ill. This vessel, and several instruments that my compatriots use, appear to be fueled and maintained by a form of energy that is at once different from the arcana that I manipulate – yet wonderfully compatible! It is as though two parallel sources/methods of energy are laid before me, yet if enough steps are taken back, and the eyes and mind are opened, we can see that the seemingly mundane 'technical' energy of this vessel (and various adventuring instruments) and the energy consumed through my manipulations of the 'arcana' actually converge, and are but two different ways of harnessing the same, deeper, fluid energies of the universe. This is exciting, and worthy of more intense research.

Along with this new understanding of energy/power, I have become quite familiar with the strange 'logbooks' that this vessel contains. Information is stored in a manner that I have yet to fully understand, but it is easily obtainable, and volumes – massive libraries, in fact – appear to be stored in such a way that they take up little to no space, are readily conjured for perusal, and are unimaginably cross-referenced and thorough! The best way to describe this storage and retrieval of information is by likening it to an oracle that maintains no authority and no allegiance to any god or gods – or any living beings. The information appears to be free for the asking and unbiased, as long as the researcher seeks the information and posits queries in a reasonable manner. This 'oracle', which I have named 'Bob' (even though it speaks with the voice of a woman – yes, it speaks) is pleasant to chat with and if it has no concept of the knowledge being sought, says so clearly and without malice.

Bob has taught me much about the operation and maintenance of this vessel. And Bob has taught me about the source of energy that provides power to the vessel. Through Bob's instruction, and information gleaned from other adventurers (especially Sesel, Durham, and Avin), and my own excursions, I believe that I may know of a source to replenish that energy – when it might run low. However, more research is needed before I can definitively claim success in this understanding. Also, I fear that the source material for this energy is being used by a dangerous entity for its own natural benefit. However, while this entity is certainly protective of its life (as all living beings are) it does not appear to be inherently 'evil', hostile, or manipulative – it is simply existing, and this source material provides energy for its growth, reproduction, and protection. More on this later.

Recently, my companions from the Survivors pulled me from my studies with Bob, and asked if I might help complete our quest from the Klackon 5^th House. It was with no little reluctance that I accepted, and so Gan and I joined them in attempting to fully cleanse the 6^th House of its parasitic infestation.

Our group was composed of myself, Gan, our good friend Durham and his faithful Renyu companion, Pako, Sesel, Raoden, Avin, and Ravna. Two members of the House al Rashid also accompanied us (Zaida and her liege-man). Ten of us, altogether returned to the spire of the Klackons and gained entrance into the sealed 6^th House.

Deep in the hidden basement labs of this infernal House we located what appeared to be a recent excavation into the surrounding earth, digging under a vein that seemed to be made of the highly sought-after metal, zortrium. And near this excavation we encountered a dark-carapaced Klackon (one Killick, the Warrior), who claimed she had been left behind to safeguard this excavation, and to prepare for the return of their people. It was gleaned that a means of 'teleportation' had been used to secret members of the 6^th House to safety, somewhere – Killick would not exactly say. It was also learned that the infestation that plagued the 6^th House likely came from that same, secret location.

With Killick's unwitting assistance (and liberal sharing of wine on our part) we were able to learn something about this means of teleportation. However, we were determined to not allow Killick to retrieve their compatriots at the moment. We explained how the other Klackon Houses wished them all eradicated, and that if she would allow us to act as intermediaries on behalf of the 6^th House, it might be possible to bring the 6^th House back in its full glory, and repatriate them with the other Houses. Killick agreed, and assured us that she would wait for our return before attempting to bring their 6^th House members back from wherever it was they had been secreted. Unfortunately, it is my considered opinion that they are lost. If they were indeed awaiting return from the place where this parasitic infestation originated, then they are most certainly infected.

We also learned that Killick had somehow been 'mining' raw zortrium from what appeared to be a very substantial 'vein' of the source material. It was obvious that the scattered tools Killick possessed would be useless for this activity. However, she had one strange, hand-held item, that she waved at us menacingly, that I believe may have been used for 'melting' the zortrium away from its matrix. I suspect that her item might emit a tremendous, focused energy that, if it could be used to carve zortrium, would certainly (and irrevocably) destroy living creatures.

We left Killick in a semi drunken stupor, with the promise to not retrieve her compatriots, and continued our inspection and cleansing of the 6^th House.

With fire (much, much fire), and skillfully placed arrows and crossbow bolts, we were able to eliminate all of the parasitically infected Klackons (and several other beasts) still remaining within the sealed environs of the 6^th House. When I say much fire – I mean a significant conflagration, brought about by burning several gallons of lantern fuel oil. The stench of burning carapaces and beetle innards was enough to bring on violent stomach heaves to those with lesser constitutions. And if the flames had not been fully controlled, it was conceivable that we may have burned down the entire Klackon spire system – us included.

The bravery, and skill in combat, that my fellow Survivors exhibited during our clashes was grand to witness! Considering that some were burned by acid, and others violently hacked and chopped, it is amazing that our morale was not broken. In the end, it seemed that we had dispatched at least a full company of infected Klackons, and numerous other 'bugs'. Those bugs, while not particularly damaging, had the ability to paralyze those who they nipped at. And while paralyzed, they would then feast on the innards of those hapless victims. After feasting on their human soft parts, the bodies appeared to be used as incubation cocoons. I shudder to think of all of the 6^th House human slaves who had succumbed to such a horrible fate.

In the end, we faced an egg-laying Klackon 'princess' and a pale-carapaced male mate. Neither appeared to be infected, and both were being held against their will. The princess begged to be set free, and returned to her 'Norr' family. She begged and pleaded for us to reunite her with her 'cousins', so that they could continue their advancement of Klackon rule. The pale-carapaced male also yearned for freedom, but claimed that freedom could only come if both he and the princess were killed. He claimed treachery by her and her cousins, and yearned for the freedom of a clean death.

Sesel gathered most of our group together for counsel, in order to decide what to make of this situation, and how to proceed. Apparently, Sesel had had a recent encounter with this princesses' cousins, and was inclined to bargain with her – there seemed to be a situation with a hostage, one Dr. Sontag. However, I grew weary of these games, strode quietly and confidently up to the encumbered princess, drew my gleaming, silvered, poisoned dagger, and plunged it into her swollen body over and over and over again until no life remained. My comrades watched in stark, shocked silence as I then moved to the shackled male and decapitated him. I turned to my colleagues and calmly said, “She wished to be set free to join her cousins – and I have done just that, as her cousins are all dead. And her forced mate yearned for a cleansing, honorable death. Thus I granted them exactly what they wished for, and our predicament is solved”. I fear, Dr. Sontag may be lost, but bargaining with these beasts is folly.

We returned to the 5^th House and claimed victory. Durham offered a great oration on our adventure and success, and a great revel was presented for us. During this revel, Gan and I had much discussion with the Klackon envoy, Zax-Atchet (forgive me if I spell his name wrong), and several other Klackon warriors and alchemists. I believe that Gan's fighting actions and bravery during this adventure proved interesting to several Klackon warriors, and it appears that one decided to take him on as a 'trainable' paisan. Perhaps Gan will learn new fighting techniques, and how to handle new weapons, in a formidable way (much like our dearly departed friend Ix did). For my part, and I believe this to be an amusing joke among Zax-Atchet and some others of their stature, I was gifted a 'potion' that they claimed, if I were to inhale it, would make me seem to any and all as if I were one of the walking dead. They claimed that all semblance of life would be masked, and I would be able to walk among the undead as if I were one of them. Interesting. I accepted the gift graciously, as I believe I have just the use for it!

After the revel was completed, we gathered our vast rewards, and returned toward Cothon-Under-Star. As for myself, I returned to our vessel and Bob, to continue my education, and to prepare for our return to the 6^th House basement excavations, and Killick.